Monday, June 29, 2009

Nonsense Charts

Click on image for larger view.

Click on image for larger view.

I SPENT ABOUT 15 YEARS OF MY LIFE AS A DESIGNER, AND FROM TIME TO TIME I GOT TO WORK ON SOME interesting annual reports. Of course, each year, the design of financial charts was a focused part of the endeavor. I watched how charts got quite abstract from time to time, usually cheered by other designers while the elderly shareholders struggled to make sense of the tiny type, and unusual approach to a pie chart, bar chart or line chart or (usually) other.

Discovering these “nonsense charts” on Flickr just made my day. Beautiful in their use of color, transparencies and three-dimensional approach on what looks like old, vintage paper, these charts mean nothing and they mean everything—depending on who is viewing them. Just like the financial section of an annual report, I guess. They would make wonderful large posters.

I would like to be able to thank the maker of these charts by name, but he (she) goes by the moniker of 1chord and a fib. You can other work by this talented person by going here.